Religious parties argue the gender change law is promoting homosexuality, dubbing it "un-Islamic." A bill in the Muslim-majority country's Senate seeks to make the sex change procedure more difficult for citizens.

The Pakistani parliament has approved the law against sexual assault to allow courts to order chemical castrations — a punishment rights groups and lawyers called cruel.

US President Joe Biden signed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill into law in a ceremony at the White House. The bill is a bipartisan compromise and a streamlined version of the original.

After taking power in August, the Taliban now need to put in place a functioning state in Afghanistan. Official declarations and policies are scarce for now, but no doubt the most tangible sign of the Taliban takeover are the security patrols of thousands of former fighters who have poured into the capital. They're now police officers who are enforcing a strict interpretation of Sharia law. Our reporters Catherine Norris-Trent and Roméo Langlois were able to follow Taliban fighters on patrol in Kabul and also gain access to a hearing of an Islamic court.

The law would have made homophobia a crime that is treated similarly to racism. Right-wing lawmakers were particularly opposed to the proposal.

The top court ruled last week that parts of EU law were "incompatible" with the Polish constitution The ruling has been criticized by EU leaders and fueled speculation that Poland may one day leave the 27-nation bloc.

Spain's foreign minister has responded to comments by the exiled Catalan independence leader Carles Puigdemont that Madrid is "using judicial power to achieve political goals", saying "in Spain, no one is above the law". On October 5, an Italian court suspended Puigdemont's extradition proceedings pending a ruling by the European Court of Justice – proceedings that the Catalan leader says should be dropped by Spain.

It comes a day after a potential assassination attempt on the chief aide to Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Demonstrators have taken to the streets the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia as the state government prepares a new assembly law. Critics say the law would make state surveillance easier.

Weeks after thousands of people took to the streets of Cuba to protest against the government, authorities have introduced laws restricting the use of social media and the internet.

Carrie Lam has warned the territory's top legal bodies that ties will be cut if they pursue political paths. Civic and legal organizations are facing increased political pressure.

The Slovenian government takes over the six-month EU presidency from Portugal. Its critics say that it is trying to stifle media freedom at home.